New Delhi, Nov 2: Expressing concern over the rising number of people in
India suffering from mental disorders, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday
said that with the young and those those living in metropolitan cities being
the most vulnerable, India was staring at a possible mental health epidemic.
Speaking after inaugurating the 21st World Congress of Mental Health, the President said, 'the World Health Organisation reports that India has among the highest prevalence of mental illnesses globally. Our National Mental Health Survey 2016 found that close to 14 per cent of India’s population required active mental health interventions. About two per cent suffered from severe mental disorders. Nearly 2 lakh Indians take their own lives each year. If one includes attempted suicides, the number goes up substantially.
These are worrying statistics. It is also a fact that those living in metropolitan cities and those who are young – whether in the productive age group, or children and teenagers – are most vulnerable to mental illnesses. In India, both these factors are cause for concern. We have a young population, with 65 per cent of our people below the age of 35. And our society is rapidly urbanising. This leaves us staring at a possible mental health epidemic.'
The President said that the biggest obstacle that mental health patients have to encounter is stigma and denial.
'The biggest obstacle that mental health patients have to encounter is stigma and denial. This leads to the issue being ignored or simply not discussed. In some cases it leads to self-diagnosis that is unsuitable or could worsen the situation. It may even lead to other extreme steps.
As a society we have to fight this culture of stigma. We need to talk about mental health issues and treat ailments such as depression and stress as diseases that can be cured – not as guilty secrets that must be pushed under the carpet,' the President said.
The President said that a major gap in combating the mental health challenge was that of human resources.
India is a country with 1.25 billion people but just seven lakh doctors – less than one million. In the field of mental health, the scarcity is even more acute. There are only about 5,000 psychiatrists and less than 2,000 clinical psychologists in our country.
"This number is extremely inadequate and we need to act. Especially for the purpose of diagnosis of mental illnesses, it would be advisable to use physicians, psychologists who teach in colleges and educational institutions as well as Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives – who are at the frontline of our public health system across the country,' he said.
The President said that the World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for the first time.
'I understand the World Congress is taking place in India and in fact in South Asia for the first time. This is a matter of pride for all of us. Frankly, it has come here at an appropriate moment. Mental health issues are acquiring a serious magnitude in our country,' he said.
The President said that India’s National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health.
' In parallel, the District Mental Health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 districts in India. It is taking the conversation about mental health to the grassroots of our society,' he said.
The President expressed happiness that the World Congress will have sessions on yoga, meditation and traditional approaches to mental health. He stated that the example of yoga is very instructive.
'When people talk about yoga, they generally refer to its physiological benefits. However, the mental, psychological, and cognitive benefits of yoga are equally worthy of our study,' he said.
He looked forward to feedback on the deliberations of the special session planned on the role of yoga in battling anxiety and depression – and in preventing the onset of mental health problems. UNI
Speaking after inaugurating the 21st World Congress of Mental Health, the President said, 'the World Health Organisation reports that India has among the highest prevalence of mental illnesses globally. Our National Mental Health Survey 2016 found that close to 14 per cent of India’s population required active mental health interventions. About two per cent suffered from severe mental disorders. Nearly 2 lakh Indians take their own lives each year. If one includes attempted suicides, the number goes up substantially.
These are worrying statistics. It is also a fact that those living in metropolitan cities and those who are young – whether in the productive age group, or children and teenagers – are most vulnerable to mental illnesses. In India, both these factors are cause for concern. We have a young population, with 65 per cent of our people below the age of 35. And our society is rapidly urbanising. This leaves us staring at a possible mental health epidemic.'
The President said that the biggest obstacle that mental health patients have to encounter is stigma and denial.
'The biggest obstacle that mental health patients have to encounter is stigma and denial. This leads to the issue being ignored or simply not discussed. In some cases it leads to self-diagnosis that is unsuitable or could worsen the situation. It may even lead to other extreme steps.
As a society we have to fight this culture of stigma. We need to talk about mental health issues and treat ailments such as depression and stress as diseases that can be cured – not as guilty secrets that must be pushed under the carpet,' the President said.
The President said that a major gap in combating the mental health challenge was that of human resources.
India is a country with 1.25 billion people but just seven lakh doctors – less than one million. In the field of mental health, the scarcity is even more acute. There are only about 5,000 psychiatrists and less than 2,000 clinical psychologists in our country.
"This number is extremely inadequate and we need to act. Especially for the purpose of diagnosis of mental illnesses, it would be advisable to use physicians, psychologists who teach in colleges and educational institutions as well as Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives – who are at the frontline of our public health system across the country,' he said.
The President said that the World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for the first time.
'I understand the World Congress is taking place in India and in fact in South Asia for the first time. This is a matter of pride for all of us. Frankly, it has come here at an appropriate moment. Mental health issues are acquiring a serious magnitude in our country,' he said.
The President said that India’s National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health.
' In parallel, the District Mental Health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 districts in India. It is taking the conversation about mental health to the grassroots of our society,' he said.
The President expressed happiness that the World Congress will have sessions on yoga, meditation and traditional approaches to mental health. He stated that the example of yoga is very instructive.
'When people talk about yoga, they generally refer to its physiological benefits. However, the mental, psychological, and cognitive benefits of yoga are equally worthy of our study,' he said.
He looked forward to feedback on the deliberations of the special session planned on the role of yoga in battling anxiety and depression – and in preventing the onset of mental health problems. UNI
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